"iXsystems, an enterprise-class hardware solution provider, announced today its acquisition of PC-BSD, a rock solid UNIX operating system based on FreeBSD. PC-BSD is a fully functional desktop operating system running FreeBSD version 6, with a KDE desktop interface and graphical system installer. Its PBI system, developed exclusively for PC-BSD, lets users download and install their applications in a self-extracting and installing format. iXsystems' acquisition of PC-BSD will provide funding to the PC-BSD project to increase distribution of PC-BSD and develop future versions of PC-BSD. Development is currently underway for a version of PC-BSD that will allow for easy installation and operation on servers, workstations, and laptops."

This will probably bring a more long lasting commitment to the development of PC-BSD. As it is no longer "just a hobby OS". And hopefully there are coming more server centric functionality to the system.

I have good faith in iXsystems, as they have proven them selves to further the BSD community. Like the effort in hosting PC-BSD and the RAQdevil project.

On the not so good side of it, I could raise some sort of mental barrier between PC-BSD och DesktopBSD.

Only time will tell, but I think and hope this will advance the BSD family in some way.

*BSD isn't just a "hobby os", it's a full grown Unix, with a strong engineering background! The "Beer and Hobby Society" isn't anywhere in the Unix community, maybe out there, where people try to mimic some real Unix

The "Beer and Hobby Society" isn't anywhere in the Unix community, maybe out there, where people try to mimic some real Unix

Like every non Open Group certified POSIX compliant OS out there, such as GNU/Linux, GNU/kFreeBSD, FreeBSD, DesktopBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD?

Matter of fact, nothing is UNIX if the Open Group has not rubber stamped it. So spare us the "We're real UNIX" until you pony up the money to be certified. Until then these BSD OSes are just another rewritten Unix clone.

After certification it will still mean nothing though. It is not the pedigree that counts, but what the technology can actually do for you.

Pounding on your chest that you delineate from the original UNIX, while it was with shady copyright dealings, is not something to write home about.